Happy Halloween! (+ a Geeky Holiday List)

Trick or Treat! How are you celebrating the holiday? Are you dressing up? Are you watching scary movies? It's not really a party but me and few friends are going watch some scary movies and some TV show episodes while eating popcorn, candy and other snacks. And speaking of watching TV shows, for this geeky Halloween list I went with Halloween or spooky, eerie, supernatural sort of episodes of procedural shows. Because everyday life can be just a frightful as a horror movie.

However you plan on celebrating the day, Happy Halloween everyone!

Characters Reading: Video: Kate Beckett (Castle)

Throughout the Castle episode Fool Me Once (season 2 episode 4), Police Detective Katherine "Kate" Beckett was constantly being annoyed by writer Richard Castle to see if she had read his latest book Heat Wave. Earlier in the episode, she had started reading it during a relaxing candle lit bath.

What I like about Kate is that she's an avid reader and prior to meeting Castle she was a big fan of his books. She still was but I like that she tried not to add to his giant ego by letting him know how much she loves his books. And since she read all his other books, it's a given that she was going to read Heat Wave. But I do wonder if a comment about the book having a steamy sex scene had her wanting to read that scene as soon as possible.

So by the end of the episode, she probably thought she could take a little break and go to the women's restroom to read. Well, most likely to find that scene and read it. Too bad she was surprised by Castle but he did tell her what page that scene was on.

Characters Reading: Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito (Castle)

In the Castle episode Wrapped Up in Death (season 2 episode 19), Detectives Kate Beckett, Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan and writer Richard Castle were investigating an interesting case. It centered around the mysterious death of a museum curator, a mummy's curse and a missing Mayan mummy. While looking for more information, Detectives Ryan and Esposito were gathering more research and information by reading the book Mysteries of the Maya: A New Look at an Ancient World by F. H. Mora. I'm pretty sure this is a prop book because I couldn't find anything when I did a search.

Anyway, this was such a fun and wacky episode, in a way it felt like a little homage to Indiana Jones because of all the archeological aspects. Something I really liked about this episode was Castle thinking he was cursed after he looked into the mummy's sarcophagus (without permission). Throughout the episode some strange things were happening to him such as the chair breaking when he sat on it and the cappuccino machine malfunctioning when he tried to use it. However, those were due to Beckett, Esposito and Ryan playing pranks on him. However, things such as getting a paper cut, being chased by a dog and temporarily being stuck in an elevator were not. Could it have been the curse, who knows?

(Castle season 2 episode 19: Wrapped Up in Death)

Merry Christmas! (+ Geeky Christmas List)

I want to wish everyone who celebrates a very Merry Christmas!

Whether you're celebrating with family, friends or by yourself, I hope you'll have an amazing day. I hope you will be able to relax and enjoy the holiday. And if you're looking for something to watch below is my geeky Christmas list.

Happy Holidays!

Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #29: Robert Nash, Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Alexis Castle and Hayley Shipton

Happy Friday! What fandom thoughts are on your mind? Well, here are some of mine:

- I rewatched the 9-1-1 sixth season mid-season finale episode Red Flag and I was looking at the fire that the 118 put out and it really looks like some one only set a certain section of a grassy area on fire. I do wonder if that couple that Fire Captain Robert "Bobby" Nash is suspicious of perhaps killed his sponsor Wendell and set a fire to get rid of any evidence on the body that showed he had been murdered. And they left drug paraphernalia near the body so it makes it seem as if Wendell overdosed but that still doesn't explain the fire and how the area caught fire. Especially since the fire was in a residential area and not out in the woods. When I first watched the episode when it originally aired (Monday, Nov. 28th), the couple asking Bobby questions about the fire after it was put out immediately set off red flags (hence the title of the episode).

To me as the viewer, the fire seemed suspicious and to Bobby as well and I don't think the Police Detective assigned to the case is going to really look into Wendell's death. Because according to Bobby's wife Police Sergeant Athena Grant, the detective stated that the area where the fire was and where Wendell's body was found is a known area for drug users. Which makes me think that the detective isn't going to make too much of an effort to really investigate Wendell's death. They'll probably write it down as a overdose. But then how do you explain the fire because if he some how died from an overdose, how did the fire start? See this is probably why Bobby is going to take it upon himself to investigate Wendell's death and the couple he thinks may be behind it since the police probably won't really look into it. I'm really interested to see how this story is going to unfold in the second half of the season.

(9-1-1 season 6 episode 9: Red Flag)

Happy Thanksgiving! (+ a Geeky Holiday TV List)

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. Whether you are celebrating alone or with others, I hope everyone will enjoy a day full of celebration, good food, creating new memories, peace, happiness and good health on this day and all others. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Friday the 13th!

It's Friday the 13th, how do you feel about the day? Is it good luck, bad luck or just another day? I'm not a superstitious person, so I see the day as a fun holiday. So beside watching as many of the classic Friday the 13th horror movies as I can, I thought I would post a geeky list of shows with episodes that deal with a bit of superstition and luck.

Happy Friday the 13th!


9-1-1

Season 4 episode 6: Jinx

Description:

The 118 believes their fabled firehouse superstition has come true when they have the day from hell with a never-ending series of bizarre emergency calls.

Book Review: Frozen Heat

Book: Frozen Heat (Nikki Heat book #4) by Richard Castle

Cover Art by American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.

Edition: Paperback

Description:

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat arrives at her latest crime scene to find an unidentified woman stabbed to death and stuffed inside a suitcase left on a Manhattan street. Nikki is in for a big shock when this new homicide connects to the unsolved murder of her own mother. Paired once again with her romantic and investigative partner, top journalist Jameson Rook, Heat works to solve the mystery of the body in the suitcase while she is forced to confront unexplored areas of her mother's background.

Facing relentless danger as someone targets her for the next kill, Nikki's search will unearth painful family truths, expose a startling hidden life, and cause Nikki to reexamine her own past. Heat's passionate quest takes her and Rook from the back alleys of Manhattan to the avenues of Paris, trying to catch a ruthless killer. The question is, now that her mother's cold case has unexpectedly thawed, will Nikki Heat finally be able to solve the dark mystery that has been her demon for ten years?

Fandom Friday: Who are ten of your favorite duos?

With the fan favorite duo Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes new show The Falcon and The Winter Soldier set to premiere next Friday, I was wondering who are your ten favorite duos? I have more but here are the ten that come to mind:

1. Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge (Archie Comics)

2. Batman and Robin (DC Comics)

3. Kate Beckett and Richard Castle (Castle)

4. Norbert "Shaggy" Rogers and Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doo)

5. R2-D2 and C-3PO (Star Wars)

6. Evan "Buck" Buckley and Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz (9-1-1)

7. Dwayne Wayne and Ron Johnson (A Different World)

8. Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn (DC Comics)

9. Black Canary and Huntress (DC Comics)

10. Rarity and Applejack (My Little Pony)

Bonus duo: Falcon and Winter Soldier (Marvel Comics)

If you could invite five characters to your book club, who would it be?

Let's see, if I could invite five characters to my book club, who would it be?

I've answered this type of question so many times and I tend to go with some of my usual group of fictional bookworms. So this time, I decided to choose some different characters that I would invite to my book club. There are so many I wanted to choose (I'll have to write another post) but for this one I kept it to five. And here is my answer:


1. Princess Leia Organa (Star Wars): Out of the original trio, I feel like Princess Leia would enjoy a little down time discussing books. I do wonder what type of books she would recommend reading? Would it be a sci-fi romance, something on politics or perhaps something completely different.

Book Review: Heat Rises

Book: Heat Rises (Nikki Heat book #3) by Richard Castle

Edition: Hardcover

Description:

The bizarre murder of a parish priest at a New York bondage club opens Nikki Heat's most thrilling and dangerous case so far, pitting her against New York's most vicious drug lord, an arrogant CIA contractor, and a shadowy death squad out to gun her down. And that is just the tip of an iceberg that leads to a dark conspiracy reaching all the way to the highest level of the NYPD.

But when she gets too close to the truth, Nikki finds herself disgraced, stripped of her badge, and out on her own as a target for killers, with nobody she can trust. Except maybe the one man in her life who's not a cop: reporter Jameson Rook.

In the midst of New York's coldest winter in a hundred years, there's one thing Nikki is determined to prove: Heat Rises.

Characters Reading: Alexis Castle (Castle)

Anyone else miss watching Castle? I do, it was one of my favorite shows and I loved the drama, humor and all the mysteries. I might have to think about getting the DVDs so I can rewatch it.

As for this Characters Reading post, in the Castle episode "Heartbreak Hotel", Alexis Castle was reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen as a way to get over her broken heart after her relationship ended with her boyfriend Ashley. I can't help noticing that the episode title not only pertained to Alexis but to her dad Richard Castle and Police Detectives Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan dressing up as Elvis Presley impersonators to try to solve a case they were working on in Atlantic City.

(Castle season 4 episode 8 "Heartbreak Hotel")

Book of Interest: Heat Storm

Do you guys read any of the Richard Castle books? I'm a huge fan of the Nikki Heat books and read quite of few of them.

Yesterday, while I was at the bookstore yesterday I spotted Heat Storm. It's a Nikki Heat/Derek Storm crossover and it seems pretty interesting. Since I have not read any of the Derek Storm books, I hope this is written in a way to familiarize the character with readers such as myself who have not read any of the books. I'm going to have to add this to my wishlist.

Book: Heat Storm (Nikki Heat book #9) by Richard Castle

Description:

Nikki Heat and Derrick Storm, New York Times bestselling author Richard Castle's most enduring and beloved characters, team up for the first time to save Nikki's mother, Cynthia, who has been in hiding (and presumed dead) for 17 years. Standing in their way is a nefarious group of Chinese businessmen known as the Shanghai Seven, who have the resources-and ruthlessness-to stop them.

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #240: High Heat (Nikki Heat)

How did I not know that a new Nikki Heat book was going to be published this year? I still need to read books 3, 4 and 6 as well as pick up book 7. So it will be a while before I even buy let alone read this. So for now, this is just going on my wishlist.

Book: High Heat (Nikki Heat book #8) by Richard Castle

Publication: October 25, 2016

Description:

An ISIS-style beheading of a journalist, carried out by a New York City group pledging fealty to that rogue state, becomes more than just another case for NYPD Captain Nikki Heat when the killers announce their next target: her husband, magazine writer Jameson Rook. Meanwhile, Heat is haunted by a fleeting glimpse of someone she swears is her mother... a woman who has been dead for nearly twenty years.

TV News: Stana Katic and Tamala Jones Leaving Castle Will Not Be Returning for 9th Season

I was recently praising Castle for being one few TV shows that doesn't kill off or get rid of most of their main characters. And now I see that both Stana Katic (Police Captain Kate Beckett) and Tamala Jones (Doctor Lanie Parish) will not be in the 9th season (which so far has not confirmed as being renewed).

ABC has issued a statement regarding both actresses, “Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past eight years. We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship. Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle.“

Let's hope the last episode of this season the writers will not kill off both characters but instead give them a dignified and respectful exit. I'm going to continue to watch the remainder of the season because I really want to see how everything turns out. I'm a little torn because I'm disappointed that both Stana and Tamala won't be returning but absolutely love watching Castle. It definitely will be weird watching next season with both of them gone.

TV Round Up: Fall TV

Ah, the joy of having a day off. I spent a good portion of the day getting caught up some of the new Fall TV shows (Rosewood, Blindspot and Minority Report) and two old favorites (The Big Bang Theory and Castle). My reviews cover the current two episodes of each series in this post.

I still have to watch the Muppets but I'm also excited for the new season of Sleepy Hollow which premieres tonight. Those shows will be in the next Fall TV Round Up.


The Big Bang Theory  Mondays  8:00 PM  CBS

Rating: 5 stars

Okay, I'll be honest I never thought Leonard and Penny would actually get married but I'm glad they did because it's going to add another dimension to the series. Are they going to eventually move into Penny's apartment or continue to live separately? Where ever they end up, I highly doubt Sheldon will move out, since technically he lived there first.

Something, I am still surprised about was Sheldon was thinking about wanting to marry Amy (season 8 finale). But since Amy broke up with him before he could ask her, he's now acting even more loonier than ever instead of telling her how he felt about her. Well, I guess it wouldn't be Sheldon if he actually told Amy how he really felt.

This show is still one of my Must Watch Shows.



Rosewood   Wednesdays  8:00 PM  FOX

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

I like this show it's like a cross between Psych and House with Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. being an annoying yet lovable pest as he helps the police solve crimes. So far I'm still waiting on Dr. Rosewood and Detective Annalise Villa to have more chemistry. Because the edges are still pretty rough with them trying to get along and work together.

I'm going to continue watching this series because I like the characters and the mysteries are interesting and it seems like it's gearing up to be a good series.



Castle  Mondays  10:00 PM ABC

Rating: 5 stars

This new season started out with newly appointed Captain Kate Beckett dealing with extreme danger as she found herself being hunted by a mercenary squad. That left Castle, Alexis, Esposito and Ryan trying to play catch up as they attempt to not only find her but also to figure out what was going on.

Those first two episodes were interesting but I feel like Kate's obsession is either going get her killed or someone close to her.  



Blindspot   Mondays  10:00 NBC

Rating: 5 stars

This is a good show. It's a fast-paced thriller that follows a woman given the name Jane Doe who is covered in tattoos and has no idea who she is. But thanks to her tattoos she is now assisting the FBI as the tattoos lead them to clues to possible crimes.

There are moments when she will get random glimpses of her memory but it's not enough for her to determine who she is. There is a possibility that Jane may be connected to agent Kurt Weller but as Jane gathers more memories she's not so sure she's one of the good guys.

It will be interesting to see who Jane really is because there so much about her that doesn't make sense. I can't wait to see the next episode.



Minority Report   Mondays  9:00 PM  Fox

Rating: 5 stars

I really like this show, it's set in the future where crime has been mostly thwarted by the Government's use of three psychic siblings, older sister Agatha and twin brothers Dash and Arthur. They were used to predict future crimes for years but when that project no longer seemed to work it was shut down. Years later one of those children Dash now as an adult was tired of all of those horrible vision he had seen over the years and decided to see if he could help stop them. He went to police detective Lara Vega to see if she could solve the latest crimes that he saw.

This turned into an interesting partnership of sort between them but it also may put both of them in danger especially Dash. If someone finds out about Dash, him and his brother and sister could possibly wind up back in another program against their will or something much worse.

I've never seen the Minority Report movie, so I had no prior knowledge as to what this show was about. I had seen the trailers for this show and was curious about it. I'm totally glad I watched this, I can see this show turning into a new favorite.

Book of Interest: Driving Heat

I like reading the Nikki Heat book series because it's just like watching the Castle TV series it's combination of mystery, drama and suspense with humor and romance. I have books #3, #4 and #6 sitting on my bookshelf and I'm adding this book to my wishlist.


Book: Driving Heat (Nikki Heat book #7) by Richard Castle

Description:

Richard Castle, New York Times mega-bestselling mystery writer and star of ABC's hit primetime show Castle is back. In the seventh novel of his popular Nikki Heat series, the NYPD's top homicide detective has been promoted to captain just in time to face a thrilling case with a very personal twist. Captain Heat's fiancé, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jameson Rook, is deep in an investigation. Professionally for Heat, Rook's meddling in the case compromises her new job. Privately, it becomes an early test of their engagement when Rook becomes a distraction at best, and an obstacle at worst, as their parallel lives not only cross, but collide.

Good News for Agent Carter, It's Renewed for a Second Season however Forever was not

It's good news for a couple of my favorite shows but bad news for another. First for the good news, it's been reported that Marvel's Agent Carter will return for a second season. Though information is still being announced, it's rumored that the show will air another eight episodes like the first season.

Also renewed is Castle (love that show) however still no word on whether Stana Katic will be returning for the 8th season.

Now for the bad news, Forever is cancelled. I can't believe it, this is a really good show. I voted for it for USA Today's Save Our Shows poll along with Agent Carter to keep them from being cancelled but unfortunately it was a losing effort. Anyway this is still a great show with a great cast.

To show his support to the fans, Ioan Gruffudd posted a message on Instagram:

My dear friends, fans, supporters.

Tonight, as you all now know, I received a phone call that I was hoping not to receive, and to be honest I really wasn’t expecting it. I knew the numbers hadn’t been great, but I also knew the studio and the network both loved the show, and of course that it had an incredible fan base…so I thought we were in with a pretty good chance.

But sadly no, this time the cards weren’t dealt in our favor. Show business is like that. Hell, life is like that. You ride to the top of the wave and then you come crashing down again. I asked Alice to send out the sad news because I was a little bit shaken up and needed time to gather my thoughts.

So I sat down and started reading the thousands of Tweets in response to the announcement. And the more I read, the more I couldn’t believe it. The love, the sense of solidarity, the hope, the kindness, the support. Not just for the show, but for each other. And slowly I began to focus on what we had gained in the past year, rather than what we had lost in the last five minutes. I was overcome by a sense of gratitude. To have met you all and to have you all rooting for me and the show. At having a chance to play the role of my dreams, even if it was only for a year. To have been given the chance to bring Henry to life.

Watching the interaction of the FOREVER fans come together and share their love for the show has been breath-taking. It was you guys who held me up when I thought I could no longer go on. (Those days were LONG!) You made me smile when you pointed out the little things I did on screen that I thought had gone unnoticed. You gave me confidence when I accidentally found myself reading less than shining reviews. You were always with me, every step of the way, waving your flags, shouting your support for the show. It’s been an incredible, wonderful year, one that I will never, ever forget.

And guess what? The memories belong to us. We get to keep them ‘forever!’ Thanks again a million times for your unwavering support. Stay strong, be brave, and show kindness as often as you can!

Ioan xxx

30 Day Geek Chic Challenge, Day #18: Richard Castle: Creativity

Day #18: Richard Castle: Creativity

Richard Castle did not get to become one of the best selling authors by churning out boring books he keeps things interesting by being creative and trying out new ideas. And one idea was to shadow Detective Kate Beckett who ended up inspiring him to create his latest character Nikki Heat.

His creative thinking has helped the detectives solved many cases or put them on the right lead. Although Castle may get on Detectives Beckett, Esposito and Ryan's nerves, he has become a great asset.

I choose Castle for today's challenge because he is a great inspiration for thinking outside the box. Instead of doing the same old thing why not use your imagination and creativity to figure out something different to do or use it to solve a problem.

A Castle Marathon on Right Now and a New Episode on Tonight.

Castle fans, we have something to be happy about not only does the 7th season premiere tonight (ABC, check your local listing for time) but TNT is currently showing a marathon.

I can't be the only one who is excited for the return, we'll finally find out what happened to Castle. I'm pretty sure the wedding will not happen but I would be really surprised if it does.

I love this show. All the characters are great, the mysteries are interesting and it's funny.